Advice On Choosing Guinea Pigs

[Sue_P]

I have no experience with guinea pigs whatsoever although I’ve had two rabbits. Each died of rather unfortunate circumstances, one being killed by a dog and the other a few weeks ago because I gave it cat litter to pee and poo on not knowing that cat litter can kill bunnies.

I’ve decided to get a couple of guinea pigs but this time I’d actually like to keep them alive.

Plus I don’t want almighty vets bills like I had with my last rabbit.

I visited the rescue centre where I got my last bunny from (who was a dud and ended up having many medical complaints), the lady there has 4 suitable pairs of guinea pigs that are ready for rehoming. One pair have red eyes and long coats but I don’t like red eyes, one pair I can’t even remember, one pair are white, ginger and black and shy with longish coats and wirey hair. They’re about two I think she said. They’re probably the sensible choice but I’m more interested in a one year old pair, I insulted one on first sight because it’s got bald ears. That one is all one colour, a sort of fudge/grey shade with longish hair and it’s eyes looked a bit red although that could have been the light. It’s friend has a shorter slinky shiny black and ginger coat. They’re the ones that stood out to me which I think I could love but I’m concerned about the bald ears. It’s ears looked a bit dry skinned plus it was lacking fur around it’s front legs. I know it’s normal that some, especially lighter ones have bald ears but I just don’t want to be landed with yet another dud animal that needs regular vet treatment. The lady there told me off for insulting his ears and told him not to listen to me, she likes his ears the way they are.

That pair was brought into the rescue centre cos the previous owner bought them from a pet shop but they started to fight, the lady at the rescue centre split them up but then reintroduced them and they’ve been fine since, if I get them I really don’t want them to fight again, I’m at work all day and not there to referee.

With your guinea pig experience do you think getting the one with the dry looking bald ears is a bad idea or do you think it’s just normal for itself to look like that and is perfectly healthy, just a bit ugly?

 

[Sue_P]

& whilst I’m here wanting advice I thought I’d show you pics of where the guinea pigs will live (minus the rabbit and existing cardboard boxes).

Ignore all the mess everywhere, that rabbit enjoyed ripping things and had a permanent dirty bottom.

 

[Sue_P]

When I get the guinea pigs I was thinking of keeping the big cardboard sheets over the top of my laminate floor, covering it all thickly with newspaper, then maybe getting some shavings from the market pet shop and sticking them in one area of the pen (not all) along with some hay. So in effect there’ll be large open areas of newspaper laid out. At the mo I have two wooden boxes that they can hide in, an oak one covered in crupinol and an mdf one also covered in crupinol, I was thinking of putting the mdf box over the litter tray and praying it gets used.

(Having the litter tray without clumping cat litter this time.

) There’s also a small table in there (you can see it in the bottom pic) which is lightly varnished. (The mdf box is to the right of that). I’m going to try and find some cardboard boxes for them to hide in, a stone to wear down their claws, maybe get a whicker play toy. Does that sound a safe and OK environment?

Is there anything obviously wrong with my plan that I’m too stupid to see?

Like I say, I killed my last rabbit so I’m the sort of person that needs some guidance.

I can take a pic when I’ve bought the necessaries and got it set up.

Oh and does the water bottle look too high up there for guinea pigs? It’s about 17cm off the ground. Do I need to alter how it’s fixed up?

 

[slackalice2k]

Welcome to the forum!

The set up looks lovely, but I think it would be hard on guinea feets, lined with newspaper and some lovely soft fleece though it would be lovely.

Guinea Pigs do need to see the vets though, one of mine just cost £16.50 last night, with a second trip back next week, so please don't think that you will be totally vet free for guineas.

I really hope you're thinking of rescuing some piggies, but if you are please be aware that you will have to have a home check, so it would be up to the rescue as to whether your piggie home would be suitable. The good thing about rescues is that if you need any advise they will help you, especially if you're new to being a piggie slave.

Good luck.

Just to add if you really want a guinea pig, it shouldn't matter what it looks like, their personalities are lovely. Long Coated breeds are a lot more work than you originally think they are even though they are stunning looking, they can really quickly become matted and dirty without regular attention.

 

[Lisajazz]

I like the space you have there but agree that towels then fleece would be much kinder for the guinea feet, they are light compared to rabbits so would skid all over cardboard. And Obv don't used cat litter for them, it would harm the guineas too.

My guineas don't litter train but if you put the hay in a manger and the litter tray filled with newspaper and hay below they will do alot of wee and poo in there and cut down the need for a full clean for the rest of the pen.

Bald bits on a guinea can be a fungal or parasitic problem of some kind. However not sure if that's what these have - all guineas have bald bits behind their ears and I think i have one with bald ears too but not sure about the legs thing. That doesn't sound quite right to me.

Glad to see you are doing your research as not getting it right can esult in vets bills and poorly piggies so well done to you. This particular forum is amazing for advice and good accurate advice (have a look at the care guides that have been put up on the main part of the forum they are great - i'll find a link and post to it).

 

[Lisajazz]

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=8

Have a look here.

 

[lovelygirl]

Hi

well i would suggest you line the bottom with an offcut of lino to protect the wood and making it easier to clean, i agree fleece with newspapers underneath would be a good bedding choice if the owner of the washing machine does not mind! if not think about megazorb or similar. I would line the litter tray with newspaper and then a layer of hay. Piggies will need at least two hidey holes so if they want they can have time apart. They will also enjoy tunnels, i also suggest you offer some appropriate wooden chew toy.

As to choosing the guinea pigs, let them choose you go and spend sometime cuddling them all even the one you don't consider the prettiest as they can be the ones that steal your heart (not forgetting long haired guinea pigs need more grooming and bathing). If you were not happy with the rescue you got your bunny from last time you are quite free to go to another.

Veterinary bills are just something you have to accept with keeping an animal and there are no guarantees whether you have a rescue or petshop guinea pig. I obviously recommend a rescue animal everytime.

If a pair have had dominance issues before you need to be aware that on moving house it may or may not strain the bond and start the fighting again.

I hope this helps, Eleanor

 

[boureki]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

I would echo the above posts, but add that I would double check that the particular Cuprinol product you have used is safe for pigs who need to chew and gnaw at wood to keep their teeth down if you have hides for them. Few varnishes are munchable safe. Your setup looks nice and spacious Also echo about the vet bills. I would definately recommend about finding a guinea savvy vet before you need one as they are not all clued up on guineas as great as they may be with cats and dogs! Guineas are not cheap either, I have run up hundreds on vet visits and treatments in the previous two years, so it's worth bearing that in mind.

Regarding the baldness of the ears, many lighter coloured pigs do appear to have almost hairless little pink ears and is normal, and cute, not ugly! It may be the written word isn't translating properly through text, but you do sound a little cavalier in the way you talk about the pigs and previous pets, please do remember that this is an animal lover's site and members may not apprecate them being spoken about this way, even though I am sure this is not how you mean it to come across Please also remember that this is a family friendly pet site and take care with the swearing.

It's great that you are looking for info before you get them. I hope that you find the forum useful.

 

[nutmeg]

Sue, I would have to echo what Boureki has said about a bit of a cavalier attitude to keeping pets. Whilst the area in terms of space is adequate, there are scissors, pens, comb, diary lying around, selotape on boxes, all of which are not really the sort of things that should be in a pet area. No problem with mess, piggies love shredding paper and creating havoc, but the other stuff is just not acceptable. As things stand from that photo it would be unlikely you would pass a homecheck. However, if you move the dangerous stuff for the homecheck, please consider what you should and shouldn't leave lying around in there.
Perhaps you could take a good look at the housing section here, there are loads of tips, and if you are willing to make some quite minor alterations, you could really have a great piggy area there.
I hope you can work it out, and adopt a couple of piggies, as they are great pets and wonderful characters. Best of luck. x

 

[em1986]

I echo the above posts... I kind of felt from your posts you didnt really see the animals as living things and more as objects. Ofcourse we can mis interprete things on forums, however it can come across slightly offensive to some people, as we are all animal lovers!

 

[Sue_P]

Welcome to the forum!

Cheers.

The set up looks lovely, but I think it would be hard on guinea feets, lined with newspaper and some lovely soft fleece though it would be lovely.

Will old towels do for lining a lot of the pen? I haven’t got a fleece. Don’t they ever chew on fabrics? Or get caught up under floor linings?

Guinea Pigs do need to see the vets though, one of mine just cost £16.50 last night, with a second trip back next week, so please don't think that you will be totally vet free for guineas.

The lady at the rescue centre was kinda saying that they don’t often need to go to the vets and that she hardly ever takes hers.

She said they’re more hardy than rabbits. I don’t mind the occasional visit but my last rabbit was a constant cause for concern, I paid £430 at the vets and I only had him 2 years. I could have spent way more on him though, I put off taking him sometimes because of the cost. & vets just wanna way suck money out of you, Henry had all sorts of treatments and none of them seemed to work. & I’d try different vets and they’d all contradict what others had said before. I hate vets. I bet Henry probably could have been saved too if the vet knew cat litter could block up insides, instead he had a £111 dental operation and died the week later. Nice one.

I really hope you're thinking of rescuing some piggies, but if you are please be aware that you will have to have a home check, so it would be up to the rescue as to whether your piggie home would be suitable. The good thing about rescues is that if you need any advise they will help you, especially if you're new to being a piggie slave.

Good luck.

This rescue centre doesn’t do home checks, well I didn’t have one for my last rabbit anyway. I have told her I killed him with cat litter, maybe it’s time she started, lol.

Just to add if you really want a guinea pig, it shouldn't matter what it looks like, their personalities are lovely.

When I chose my last rabbit I was determined to find the cutest. I think I did. Unfortunatley he was a miserable bad tempered little devil and stamped a lot and ran away. I wouldn’t have changed him though, he was beautiful. & I digged it everytime he bit my mum. That was funny.

Long Coated breeds are a lot more work than you originally think they are even though they are stunning looking, they can really quickly become matted and dirty without regular attention.

The last rabbit was a nightmare fur wise that’s one of the reasons why I was thinking about getting guinea pigs this time. Henry’s fur was so soft and thick and he malted all the time, it’s in every room, its in books, on my clothes, in knooks and crannies, it got everywhere, it’s still floating around in the air today. I’ll see bits in mid-air as I’m watching telly. His fur did my head in. But if I can handle Henry’s fur then I can handle guinea pigs, besides, they’re smaller, there’s got to be less of it right?!

I like the space you have there but agree that towels then fleece would be much kinder for the guinea feet, they are light compared to rabbits so would skid all over cardboard. And Obv don't used cat litter for them, it would harm the guineas too.

Yep, the cat litter is gone now.

My guineas don't litter train but if you put the hay in a manger and the litter tray filled with newspaper and hay below they will do alot of wee and poo in there and cut down the need for a full clean for the rest of the pen.

That’s my idea of heaven. One of my workmates suggested I use some kitchen trays for catching wee too. I was wondering if guinea pigs can jump into cat litter trays OK, their legs look a bit short, I wouldn’t want the energy it takes to jump up put them off going, lol. Has anyone ever tried putting down plastic trays? Do they ever bite plastic things BTW?

Bald bits on a guinea can be a fungal or parasitic problem of some kind. However not sure if that's what these have - all guineas have bald bits behind their ears and I think i have one with bald ears too but not sure about the legs thing. That doesn't sound quite right to me.

Cheers. I’ll bare it in mind. When I chose the last rabbit I pointed out that he had sleep around his eyes and none of the other rabbits seemed to have it and asked if his eyes were OK. I was told he was fine. I must have gullible written on my forehead, lol. Maybe there is something wrong with the bald eared one but she’s just not letting on.

Glad to see you are doing your research as not getting it right can esult in vets bills and poorly piggies so well done to you.

No doubt even with a bit of knowledge I’ll screw up chose the wrong ones and then do something wrong at home. I suppose if I’m not 100% taken with any of the 4 pairs at the rescue centre I’ve been to I could always get some from the pet shop in town. I’d feel sort of awkward though because I told the lady that I’d be back for some.

This particular forum is amazing for advice and good accurate advice (have a look at the care guides that have been put up on the main part of the forum they are great - i'll find a link and post to it).

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=8

Have a look here.

Cheers. I’ve taken a look. I know where to come next time if one of the guinea pigs gets ill too. For some reason I was too stupid to think of the idea of finding a rabbit forum and information online when I had all my rabbit dramas.

 

[Sue_P]

well i would suggest you line the bottom with an offcut of lino to protect the wood and making it easier to clean,

I thought I read somewhere online that lino is dangerous for guinea pigs? Or was that for rabbits? I take it guinea pigs don’t dig though do they? So it wouldn’t really matter what was underneath a load of newspaper really would it? Cos they wouldn’t be able to get to it anyway right? I’ll consider getting lino or something similar to lay right at the bottom if it gets messy. Pee stains way bad don’t it? Eek.

i agree fleece with newspapers underneath would be a good bedding choice if the owner of the washing machine does not mind!

I can’t say the idea of my cloths spinning around the washing machine with peed on towel or fleece is appealing actually, hmn, we’ll see. Actually if I stuck shavings everywhere would that be OK for their paws? I wasn’t keen on the idea because wood shavings got everywhere all around the house when I had them with the rabbit at one point. I’d probably prefer picking shavings up constantly around the house than to having to constantly wash towels and stuff though. How often do you wash fleeces and towels in an area that big would you say?

if not think about megazorb or similar. I would line the litter tray with newspaper and then a layer of hay. Piggies will need at least two hidey holes so if they want they can have time apart. They will also enjoy tunnels,

I work at a joinery who uses a lot of mdf. If I got the joiners to make mdf toilet cubicles would they be suitable?

i also suggest you offer some appropriate wooden chew toy.

I could re-use the rabbit’s old one. It needs a good clean though.

As to choosing the guinea pigs, let them choose you go and spend sometime cuddling them all even the one you don't consider the prettiest as they can be the ones that steal your heart (not forgetting long haired guinea pigs need more grooming and bathing). If you were not happy with the rescue you got your bunny from last time you are quite free to go to another.

I didn’t realise I’d have to bathe long haired ones.

I sure hope I choose healthy good ones or you won’t see the back of me on this forum, lol.

Veterinary bills are just something you have to accept with keeping an animal and there are no guarantees whether you have a rescue or petshop guinea pig. I obviously recommend a rescue animal everytime.

If a pair have had dominance issues before you need to be aware that on moving house it may or may not strain the bond and start the fighting again.

I hope this helps, Eleanor

Maybe if they start fighting again I could take them back to the rescue centre for a swap? I mean she wouldn’t say no to having them back right? That’s a thought. I could try them and if they start fighting go back. I’d have demanded a refund with Henry BTW but he was just so damn cute. If they’re gonna fight I hope they do it right away before I get attached to them.

I would echo the above posts, but add that I would double check that the particular Cuprinol product you have used is safe for pigs who need to chew and gnaw at wood to keep their teeth down if you have hides for them. Few varnishes are munchable safe. Your setup looks nice and spacious Also echo about the vet bills. I would definately recommend about finding a guinea savvy vet before you need one as they are not all clued up on guineas as great as they may be with cats and dogs! Guineas are not cheap either, I have run up hundreds on vet visits and treatments in the previous two years, so it's worth bearing that in mind.

I’ll see if the crupinol says anything about being safe for animals on the tub. Do you reckon the lightly varnished low height table will be OK in the pen? Surely they couldn’t eat enough varnish in one sitting to make them ill?

I’ll have to phone the local vets and see if any of them know owt about guinea pigs. Plus complain as to why I wasn’t shouted at for giving my bunny cat litter. I said several times I’d seen him eating it and wasn’t told to stop using it. Naa, I’ve no faith in any of the vets I’ve seen. Hope there’s some place else different I could go to that’s nearby.

It's great that you are looking for info before you get them. I hope that you find the forum useful.

Cheers.

Regarding the baldness of the ears, many lighter coloured pigs do appear to have almost hairless little pink ears and is normal, and cute, not ugly!

But what about it not having much hair on the legs? Do you agree with Lisajazz that there could be something wrong?

It may be the written word isn't translating properly through text, but you do sound a little cavalier in the way you talk about the pigs and previous pets, please do remember that this is an animal lover's site and members may not apprecate them being spoken about this way, even though I am sure this is not how you mean it to come across Please also remember that this is a family friendly pet site and take care with the swearing.

Sue, I would have to echo what Boureki has said about a bit of a cavalier attitude to keeping pets.

I echo the above posts... I kind of felt from your posts you didnt really see the animals as living things and more as objects. Ofcourse we can mis interprete things on forums, however it can come across slightly offensive to some people, as we are all animal lovers!

Oh I offend people all the time but I think you’ll find I actually like animals too. I’m on a one-girl mission to save toads you know. Every year I go out in mating season and patrol the streets in the dark for hours on end saving their lives from cars. I pick up snails so they don’t get stood on. I move stranded worms on pavements. I’ve always got my hands on animals so you don’t have to worry about me not liking them, I’m always gagging to help the little things, sometimes I just need a bit of guidance though.

Whilst the area in terms of space is adequate, there are scissors, pens, comb, diary lying around, selotape on boxes, all of which are not really the sort of things that should be in a pet area.

No wonder Henry died, lol. He never got to the scizzors though as he didn’t jump on top of that box, it was too high for him. Yeah the selotape on that box wasn’t great but I binned it anyway, he diahorread all inside of it. Thankfully with guinea pigs they’re a lot smaller so it’s easier to find boxes that are glued together not selotaped.

No problem with mess, piggies love shredding paper and creating havoc, but the other stuff is just not acceptable. As things stand from that photo it would be unlikely you would pass a homecheck. However, if you move the dangerous stuff for the homecheck, please consider what you should and shouldn't leave lying around in there.
Perhaps you could take a good look at the housing section here, there are loads of tips, and if you are willing to make some quite minor alterations, you could really have a great piggy area there.
I hope you can work it out, and adopt a couple of piggies, as they are great pets and wonderful characters. Best of luck. x

Cheers. I’ll take a look at this site’s housing section too.



Thanks everyone for making the effort to respond.

Busy forum this is ain’t it?! I wasn’t expecting so many posts.

 

[sophiew (EAGPR)]

Great post here about what you'll need to think about before taking on any guineas

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=644014#post644014

They are not necessarily more 'hardy' than rabbits, it depends on the pigs! And once you've taken them on from a rescue part of the adoption agreement usually states that you are then responsible for any vets bills incurred. Bills would vary depending on what was wrong but lots of people on here have spent hundreds of pounds at the vets on their guineas, myself included.

You also need to bear in mind their life-span - 5 - 7 years, hopefully, will you still be able to care for them in a few years time?

Long haired piggies need bathing, grooming (daily) and trimming, but even short haired piggies need some grooming / checking daily.

Sophie
x

 

[KingBoris&HisFollowers]

welcome,

lets just say i am rather unimpressed!
you dont really seem at all ready to be thinking of piggies yet so it might be wise to hold off until you learn the basics,the cage is in alot of ways already mentioned, unsuitable,
guineas can cost alot,my situation was a freak accident that can happen to anyone but in 3 months i spent 1500 pounds on my GP,he was well worth every cent,
all sorts of health issues could crop up and you need to be prepared to deal with that,i noticed you wrote about "putting off" going to the vets which is not in the animals best interests.
Piggies do not dig so may not make as much mess as your rabbit did but even shorthairs do require a bath and,bottom cleans/health checks,weekly weigh ins,cage cleaning of at least twice a week,at least 2 hours a day of out of cage time,veges,good pellets,plent of hay,toys and the list goes on,
basically what I'm saying is no animal is cheap or low care,piggies wont be any cheaper than most other animals,veges alone are a decent amount but are a need for good health.
Shavings are rough on piggies feet,and can also be dusty which causes respiratory problems which = more vet care.
If they fight its your resposponsibility to seperate or pair with more GP's or whatever it is,the rescue is there to rehome these piggies to good homes not have them returned because they bicker,
Some balding is normal for piggies,also if they dont do home checks then they arent a registered rescue,through petshops you are much more likely to recieve animals that have had poor vet care or come from poor conditions therefore arent as healthy.
I wouldnt use the rabbits old toy either as it wouldnt be safe,rabbits can pass diseases onto piggies so ideally you should buy a new cage/hutch and accessories just to be safe.
I do not know what you consider to be cuteness but all animals are gorgeous if you are a true animal lover you wouldnt be so picky on piggies for there flaws but after a piggy that steals your heart instead,RED eyes are beautiful and i dont understand how anyone could say otherwise?its not there fault they dont look up to your standard!
i hope you at least research a little more before jumping into this,
Here is a picture of my red eyed piggy who is the furthest thing from ugly,hopefully just by looking at him you wont tarnish them with the ugly brush as its just not fair

 

[lovelygirl]

i think red eyed piggies are gorgeous too! like little rubies

 

[Charl]

Hello & welcome

Yes I am going to echo what my fellow forumers have said before ^

I'm afraid your guinea pig pen thingy is far from suitable for your guineapig/s. I suggest that you clean all that mess up that's in the pen, and to me, the pen looks very small. Just my opinion though!

And yes, I think red eyed guinea pigs are beautiful x)x)x) Such sweet souls x

Anyways, hope you have a nice time on the forum

 

[Neve38]

I really don't think you should be thinking of buying any pet if cost is an issue. My little GP that recently had to be PTS cost me over £300 in the last two weeks of her life. I would have paid any amount to make sure she was well and free of pain but it wasn't to be. Please try and think of the animals instead of your want....I don't mean this to sound harsh. The only difference between rabbits and guinea pigs is that rabbits need jabs, myxy and VHD. Guinea pigs do not needs jabs but they still could need their teeth trimming etc, the same as rabbits so you could well end up paying the same amount as you did for your rabbit....there is no telling what medical attention your GP could need.

Joy xx

 

[LucyJK]

Ive been following the post with interest, but just not knowing what to write as a response as I just think your attitude is a bit unbelievable but perhaps thats just how you are and it came across wrong ?

It almost feels like your a troll ? if not then I'm sorry, but I think you may need to rephrase things

red eyes piggies are fine Rosie and Snowy both have red eyes, even if you dont like them i wouldnt openly say so as you will affend people.

 

[Abby'sMom]

I too am not quite sure what to say, Yes, we are a very active forum of guinea pig lovers/slaves. It shows in the way we are excited just to see them cuddled up in a blankie or popcorning because they are happy. Anyone who has lost a piggie to illness or accident shows their love and compassion over the loss...unkike you who just says. "I killed my rabbit"...we are here to support one another, give advice, show links to helpful sites, etc....I feel you cannot completley blame your vet for not telling you of cat litter danger...you should have done more research...it is a right as an animal slave to do anything and everything physically possible to keep your animals safe, healthy and happy. I cant help but think how naive you sound...please do lots more research and then do some more before you bring any precious piggies into your care, I am very concerned for any animals that might come into your care. I am only saying these things as a concern for the animals, not completely against your practices...Just please be sure you are ready for this big responsibility that you are looking into.

 

[kez_s]

Crikes not sure what to say, I am fairly new to this forum and pretty new to guinea pigs as pets but I've made sure in the last 4-5 months I've tried to get every little bit of research possible and take advice from everyone on here.

Maybe it's not fair for me to comment but as someone who's not actually kept guinea pigs and has not quite fallen under the spell of gp's - though mine arrive Friday so the start of hopefully a beautiful relationship is about to start, but I guess as in someways as an outsider you make me feel very uncomfortable, I am really sorry, I know that sometimes the internet, etc., can make what you're trying to say not seem right but in no part of any of your messages does there seem to be any real thought, care, etc., about wanting to re-home two gp's, you seem very flipant as if you're about to have a toilet inspection by the council or something.

I don't know as much as those on here, but your set up looks a total disaster zone that no-one should be living amongst no matter a small animal. Your attitude about re-homing two gp's seems unreal, if the woman from this so-called rescue centre is for real I would feel very uncomfortable with the advice/info she's giving you and wouldn't want to know someone who basically told me a load of rubbish and doesn't even seem to care if she sees your set up or not. If you are genuine perhaps you may feel better going to a rescue centre mentioned here that will give you proper advice and make sure that you are right for the guinea pigs as much as they are right for you.

The lady I am re-homing from has been fantastic and all the advice/info, etc., and the reality of homing, etc., makes me feel very happy that I know exactly what I am getting into and that I am providing the right environment and care, etc., for them.

But I can't help thinking that this is a total wind up.

 

[LucyJK]

But I can't help thinking that this is a total wind up.

ditto I cant help but think shes a troll, again apologies if your not, but hey thats how it comes across

 

[Lisajazz]

I have to agree about the cat litter thing. Personally the minute I saw them eating litter i would have taken it out of there (although checking before giving anything is much better). To leave an animal eating something like that which is usually clumping or scented or both does seem unbelievable.

How did you feel after you lost your rabbits?

 

[slackalice2k]

I've been reading this thread since I first answered and wanted to give the OP the benefit of the doubt, I really hope you're genuine Sue and this isn't a wind up.

Taking any pet on needs careful consideration, they're not something that are just there to be a trophy, they need to be loved, cared for and treat with respect. I'm quite disappointed in the fact that you've replied so flippantly as if any animal you will have is a bit of fun. There are some very knowledgeable members who have given you very sound advise so please take notice of them.

I hope it all works out for you.

 

[Charl]

Yes that's exactly right ^^

An animal isn't just for your birthday, easter, or whatever. It's not as if it's a toy. You can't just put it away in your wardrobe to play with later. Animals are in your care 24-7, and you have a very important responsibility to make sure your animal is well cared for in every way, and most of all loved. That's what an animal wants. Love & Care.

If you are going to treat these piggies like you did your rabbits, I suggest you leave the guinea pigs for someone else to take home to love and care for them.

Really think this through before you get them x

 

[Neve38]

Personally I would rather this was a wind-up...I think I could sleep well at night knowing this wouldn't be happening.

Joy xx

 

[annaliese]

This is just a mess isnt it really :| you clearly haven't put any thought or research into these guinea pigs at all, your no better than a five year old who get thier parents to buy them a cavie on a whim... Oh and by the way MDF is made of tiny little bits of wood stuck together, it is highly dangerous for guinea pigs (or anything that would be chewing on it) Go back and do your research or leave well alone, i am frankly disgusted by the thought of you getting your hands on two guinea pigs which are meant to be being rehomed to Better thier lives *shakes head* I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but you have come onto a forum seeking advice with blatant disregard for how we would respond when your talking about guinea pigs that way.... No guinea pig is ugly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and frankly those guinea pigs might look at you and think your a bit of a state.... Your openly admitting to having killed your rabbits through ignorance and in one sentence you even put lol next to it, what kind of crazy are you really :S at least show some sort of regret. I don't know if i'v gone overboard here but frankly I'm shocked at just how callous and flippant someone can be about taking responsibility for two lives!

 

[nutmeg]

No wonder Henry died, lol. He never got to the scizzors though as he didn’t jump on top of that box, it was too high for him. Yeah the selotape on that box wasn’t great but I binned it anyway, he diahorread all inside of it. Thankfully with guinea pigs they’re a lot smaller so it’s easier to find boxes that are glued together not selotaped.



Maybe I have just had a bad shift at work, but why "lol" about Henry.
And yes I think this is a 'Wind them up and watch them go' thread so I am not going to comment other than to say, don't even think of contacting me to adopt one of my rescues.

 

[Laura-CCC4]

I didn’t realise I’d have to bathe long haired ones.

I sure hope I choose healthy good ones or you won’t see the back of me on this forum, lol.

...........


Maybe if they start fighting again I could take them back to the rescue centre for a swap? I mean she wouldn’t say no to having them back right? That’s a thought. I could try them and if they start fighting go back. I’d have demanded a refund with Henry BTW but he was just so damn cute. If they’re gonna fight I hope they do it right away before I get attached to them.


.....

But what about it not having much hair on the legs? Do you agree with Lisajazz that there could be something wrong?

I am late to this discussion and have little to add other than:

1) If any responsible rescue recognises the attitude displayed in some of the quotes I have selected above, you won't be allowed to adopt guinea pigs - for a good reason. If by chance you were, and you did as you explained above (return the pigs for a swap), you categorically would not be allowed to take on any other guinea pigs.

2) Every animal on this planet has the possibility of getting ill, no matter how good and healthy it generally is. You take on any animal, you expect and prepare for vets bills. If that animal doesn't fall ill and never needs to see a vet, then you take it as a bonus and consider how lucky you and that animal were.

3) Pets are not things you exchange or dispose of if they are not perfect or to your perfecting standards. You get an animal, you are committing yourself to sticking with the animal come what may.

For those who were wondering, it is perfectly normal for there to be bald patches on the ankles, on the insides of the front legs.

 

[annaliese]

Silver has bald ankles i always figured this was because she was white, you know a normal thing to think rather than 'my guinea pig has ugly bald ankles get rid of it'! {:|@){:|@){:|@)

 

[LucyJK]

sorry i know I'm new to this forum, but have come across trolls on forum before and its not pretty, I would suuggest that no one else replies to this thread now or it be closed or something as I feel this is def a wind up and we're playing into their hands